Eastlake, Lake County Captains agree to replace turf at Classic Park in 2013

On the field, preparations continue for Friday's high school football game between traditional rivals North and South.

It will be the first football game played at the 10-year-old baseball stadium that is home base for the Lake County Captains. The Captains are a minor-league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians playing in the full-season Class A Midwest League.

Off the field, it appears the stadium's owner and landlord, the city of Eastlake, and its primary tenant, the Captains, are nearing agreement on a proposal to replace the stadium's playing surfaces after the 2013 season.

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Captains Vice President and General Manager Brad Seymour said that as of early Tuesday afternoon, about 3,000 tickets had been sold for Friday's game, which is being billed as "The Border Battle at Classic Park."

"We're expecting total attendance of about 4,000," Seymour said. "Advance sales have settled into the neighborhood of 100 (tickets) per day. We expect that pace to pick up a little on (today) and Thursday."

Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 day of game. The stadium has about 7,200 seats.

Seymour said there are plenty of $40 VIP tickets available. Those tickets entitle the bearer to a pre-game buffet meal and seats on the 50-yard-line.

There also are sponsors for first downs, time-outs and other in-game events.

Seymour said the projected sponsorship revenue of $12,000 will be split between the participating schools and the Captains.

The city will derive income from the 8 percent tax built into the price of every ticket and from the $5 parking fee at the city-owned lot astride Route 91 across from the stadium.

There will be a $10 charge for parking in the lot immediately adjacent to the stadium. That revenue will be kept by the Captains, as will revenue from concession sales.

A temporary outline of the football field is in place. The permanent lines and yard markers will be finished either today or Thursday, as will installation of the goal posts at either end of the field.

The two teams will work out at the stadium on Thursday. Those sessions are closed to the public.

Word of the Captains and city officials nearing agreement on a plan to replace the grass and dirt playing surfaces at Classic Park could mean the end of a two-year stalemate.

The Captains, citing reports from turf specialists, have insisted for two years the grass playing surface at Classic Park was worn out and badly in need of replacement.

Eastlake Mayor Ted Andrzejewski has disagreed with the team, arguing the playing surface was still in game-ready condition.

Andrzejewski also publicly expressed concern about the cost of a playing surface replacement -- estimated to be between $125,000 and $150,000 -- taking too big of a bite out of the stadium's Capital Replacement and Improvement Fund, or CRIF.

The current balance in the CRIF is just over $275,000. Money for the CRIF is generated by a set-aside of 25 cents from every paid admission.

Seymour said Tuesday the Captains have agreed to increase the amount of money paid into the CRIF from the current level of $30,000 per season to $55,000 per season for two years, beginning in 2013.

The additional payments into the CRIF could continue in 2015 and beyond, depending on the status of the lease agreement between the city and team. That lease is in force through 2027.

"There are some items that have to be addressed, but a proposal is in the works," Andrzejewski said.

At Tuesday night's Eastlake City Council meeting, council rejected two bids for the field replacement for Classic Park. The rejection came at the suggestion of the city's finance committee.

Finance Director Mike Slocum said the decision to reject the bids was jointly reached with the Captains.

"There are some price considerations in buying the sod locally versus having it trucked in from New Jersey," he said. "It is the recommendation from the Captains and the administration that we reject the bids and we go out for new bids sometime in the spring."

The plan is to have the new field go in after the Captains' 2013 season ends next September.